Timing your first benefit payment
Your first check won't arrive until the month after the one you pick in your application. You can apply any time up to four months before the month you pick. For example, you want your first check in April.
Seeing as your application could take six weeks or more to process, it's in your best interest to file for your benefits the full four months before you're eligible to receive them. The question of when to apply for Social Security benefits runs much deeper than following a simple timeline, however.
You can usually expect your back pay and first monthly check to start 30-90 days after the award letter. As far as insurance is concerned, if you were approved for SSI, you will receive Medicaid benefits automatically depending on the state you live in.
One of the most important factors is how prepared you are when submitting your application. If you have all the necessary documentation ready and complete the application accurately and honestly, it will likely take less time for the SSA to process your application.
You should receive your SSN card within two weeks after we have received all of the documentation needed to process your application, including verification of your immigration document with the USCIS. You may contact your local field office You can locate your local field office by visiting Field Office Locator | SSA.
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
When Your Benefits Start. Generally, if your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is approved, you must wait 5 full calendar months from the date we find that your disability began before your entitlement can begin.
Is No News Good News When it Comes to Waiting on a Disability Approval Letter? Most disability claims can take a long time to process, so if you haven't heard back from the SSA regarding your disability approval letter it's not a bad sign.
The overall national approval rate for SSI/SSDI (without SOAR) is only 29%. So yes, that means 71% of people are denied. It's not possible to know how many applicants needed more evidence and how many just didn't meet the disability criteria, but it certainly leads to many myths about the process.
CalSTRS will issue your first monthly benefit payment within 45 days of your retirement effective date or the date your completed application is received (whichever is later).
You may request that your benefit begin in August with the first payment in September. By requesting that your benefit begin in your birthday month, you will receive the maximum possible monthly payment for the rest of your life.
You recently applied for benefits
Social Security applications can take up to three months to process, so it's not unusual to have a significant delay between applying and receiving your first benefit.
If you're claiming Social Security retirement benefits, plan on at least six weeks for your application to be processed. However, if your application has incorrect information or the agency is backlogged, it could take up to three months before benefits begin, warns AARP.
Once you have submitted your application for disability benefits, it generally takes 6 to 8 months for an initial decision. You can log in or create a personal my Social Security account to check the status of your pending application.
If you qualify for SSDI and SSI, there's no set back pay maximum for either. Essentially, you can estimate your potential back pay by multiplying your average monthly benefit amount by the number of months you are eligible to receive.
We pay Social Security benefits monthly. The benefits are paid in the month that follows the month for which they are due.
The SecurityStat process
Process initial disability claims within approximately 7 months (215 days) by the end of fiscal year 2025. On average, field offices should take a combined total of 19 days to do two things: first, to check the non-medical requirements, and then, after the DDS review, to make a decision.
If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.
We reduce your benefits if you start early by about 0.5% on average for each month you start receiving benefits before your full retirement age. For example, if your full retirement age is 67, and you sign up for Social Security when you're 62, you would only get about 70% of your full benefit.
Each survivor benefit can be up to 100% of your benefit. The amount may be reduced if the women start benefits before their own full retirement age, but they don't have to share — the amount isn't reduced because you've had more than one spouse.
To qualify to get $144 added back to your Social Security check, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that offers a Part B premium reduction or giveback benefit.